Warren County grounds chairman: Time for new jail

Saturday

Mar 16, 2019 at 7:25 PMMar 16, 2019 at 7:25 PM

MONMOUTH — Warren County needs a new jail. That’s the assessment of Warren County Board Building and Grounds Committee Chairman Sean Cavanaugh.

The County Board last year commissioned a survey of the jail to determine how best to address the deficiencies in the 141-year-old jail. On Friday, the detailed survey of the jail by Klingner & Associates architects of Galesburg was made available for board members to review.

The board will meet the first week of April and discuss the report and what course of action to take.

“For me personally, I think it is time to take action,” said Cavanaugh. “And I think the board largely feels the same way. The current jail has outlived its useful life. It’s been good to us, but it is time to find a solution. We’re going to need more space, more beds, better safety, more functionality and efficiency — all of the above. The current jail will not give us that. It would be a fortune just to get the existing building to where we need to seat the 20 people.

“As chairman … I take great pride. By doing nothing, I’m not doing my job.”

The jail in Monmouth was built in 1878 behind the Warren County Courthouse. The last time it was updated was 1915, which was in a much more simpler time when the sheriff would live there and his wife would do the cooking for the inmates.

Among the problems with the jail: leaks in the ceiling; poor layout; crowded conditions; safety of correctional officers and inmates alike; it’s not handicapped accessible; it is able to house only male inmates.

A new jail could provide better safety with a single level, which could separate inmates who are at-risk or who have mental-health problems.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Edwards did not want to comment on the matter at this time because not all board members had seen the Klingner report.

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